The reader is referred to Applicants Co-pending Applications abovementioned for teachings in relation to improvements to closure assemblies and retractable screen systems contained therein, the teachings thereof which are hereby incorporated by reference.
Screens are generally provided for doors, patio doors, and windows. One particular type of screen utilized for patio doors, for example, includes a metal frame having a groove disposed around its edges. The screen is affixed to the frame by using a spline, a long extended piece of flexible material, which is forced into the groove capturing the edges of the screen. The screen is then slid in front of the opening when the patio door is moved to an opened position. The screen therefore permanently blocks the view of the occupant of the dwelling. The same is true for screens provided with double-hung windows, tilt and slide windows, and casement windows. The screen generally is always in position whether the window is opened or closed.
Various examples therefore have been developed by inventors to address this problem.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,244 to Thumann describes a retractable covering for a door including a housing containing a roll of screen as best seen in FIGS. 2, 5, 6A and 6B thereof. The cover may be affixed to a door adjacent the frame thereof as an after-market product.
Another example of an after-market type of product is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,786 as best seen in relation to FIG. 6 therein, the structure is adapted to be mounted on one side of a door jamb to be releaseably connected to the other. The assembly is quite complicated and complex and may be considered as an add-on structure.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,911,990 provides a screen in combination with a sliding door. The screen is disposed upon a spring-loaded roller installed on the exterior of the framing sections of the opening adjacent to the window frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,852 describes a box-like housing carrying a tube for paying out and taking up a mesh screen. The housing is fastened over a window or door and is not part of the framing section of the door.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,651,797 describes a roll-up screen door included in a narrow housing containing a conventional spring-biased roll onto which flexible screen material is taken up and paid out. The housing is mounted adjacent one side of a vertical curved strip along one side of the door casement opening. The front vertical edge portion of the screen material is anchored within a vertical groove of the anchoring strip as best seen in FIGS. 3 and 5. Again, the housing extends from the framing section and is not part thereof. A more complex arrangement is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,359,081 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,261,524.
Referring now to U.S. Pat. No. 1,150,000 to Matthews, there is described a window screen coiled on a roller for installation on a window frame. The roller for the window is illustrated in FIG. 5 including a hook portion for hooking a complementary hook portion on the screen. The other edge of the screen includes a hook portion for engaging with the trim portion 34.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,141,996 to Vanasdale describes another type of roller screen which may be attached to the sill or lintel portion of the frame by mounting brackets as best seen in relation to FIGS. 1 through 6.
None of the above-mentioned references teach or even infer the installation of a screen within the framing sections of a closure assembly such as a jamb. Each of the products may be considered as an after-market product which is installed upon, adjacent to, on or butting up against the framing section of the appropriate closure member. In essence, some of the installations are unsightly with a housing extending from the general plane of the home or window, extending either outwardly away from or inwardly toward the interior being closed by the closure member. It would therefore be advantageous to solve this problem by providing a screen assembly which may be contained within the framing sections of a closure assembly and which retracts into the frame member and which is substantially invisible until such time as needed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,921 describes a screen assembly having supporting elements secured along the edge of the material as best seen in relation to FIGS. 4 and 7. The structure also includes a spring-biased element which rides in a track. As best seen in FIGS. 9 through 11, the screen is considered to be an add-on, after-market device as well.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,842,890 to Kramer describes a coilable closure device as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 18 which includes a frame including a side jamb and a storage jamb, 34 and 36 respectively. The coilable closure device does not include a post and includes a multiplicity of sections as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 6 which sections include elements extending up into and down into respective track areas provided with the frame. The material which coils upon itself is particularly plastic sheet including reinforcing ribs which also act as guiding elements for the sheet. However, nowhere within the reference does it teach the use of such a structure for a screen, but merely as a closure to replace a door between adjacent rooms, for example. Nowhere within the reference does it teach the combination of a closure member such as a window or patio door and a screen. This is simply not described. Therefore, one would not be motivated to solve the problem of combinations of closure members and screens by the reading of the Kramer reference.
There are a number of manufacturers producing a style of screen in a kit form to be assembled onto the exterior of a housing on existing windows as an after-market product.
Known roll screen fastening technologies fastens the screen cloth to the drum with tape, glue, and other bonding methods. The handle may have the screen cloth affixed thereto by using conventional attachment methods such as utilizing a semi-flexible bead pressed into a groove as described above or by sandwiching the screen between a two part mechanical handle profile which may be fastened by screws, rivets or the like. Preferred Engineering has made attempts at crimping the screen into a metal edge and inserting the edge into the drum and the handle as described in the parent application. Although this is a reasonable approach, it has been determined that no flexibility is achieved by such a joint and the screen still had a tendency to tear.
Nowhere therefore within the prior art is there taught improvements to screen assemblies, wherein the entire screen assembly is contained within the framing sections found adjacent to a closure member in a closure assembly, for example a window assembly. Further, nowhere within the art is there found a roll-out screen assembly embodied in a cassette which may be readily inserted within the hollow of a framing section sized to receive said cassette or screen assembly. Further, nowhere within the art is there found a roll-out screen assembly embodied in a cassette having mounting brackets of a predetermined shape which may be readily inserted within the hollow or pocket of the same shape as the bracket disposed within a framing section and sized to receive said cassette or screen assembly. Further, nowhere in the prior art is there manufactured a screen having an abutment on one edge thereof for engaging with a cooperative abutment on the roller of a screen assembly which may be cut to size as desired to repair a roller screen assembly. Further, nowhere within the prior art is there found various improvements to roll-up screen assemblies to simplify their installation, adjustment and replacement.
Nowhere within the prior art is such a simplified improved screen assembly provided which retracts into the jamb, sill or header of the frame portion of a window assembly in the retracted position and which is preferably guided to its operative position in guides provided with the jamb, sill or header, and which allows for the manufacture of more durable screens in larger sections without continuously covering of the window and particularly when the window is in the closed position.
It is therefore an object of this invention to overcome many of the deficiencies in the prior art stated above which allows for smooth and simple operation of a retractable screen which is capable of both sliding within a guide channel between the retracted and the operative positions and which at the retracted position is fully contained within the jamb, sill or header section of the closure assembly.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a retractable screen assembly of appropriate size and construction to replace existing retractable screen assemblies for casement, double hung and/or tilt and slide windows as well as patio doors.
It is further a primary object of this invention to provide a roll-up screen embodied in the frame of a closure assembly which is retractable into the frame itself without requiring an additional housing.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a roll-up screen assembly in the form of a cassette which may be mounted within the hollow of a framing section, which cassette may or may not include a front fascia portion to close the framing section. When said cassette does not include a front fascia portion a clip on supplementary portion may be provided if required to close the framing section
It is yet a further object of this invention to provide a continuous roll of screen manufactured so as to be cut at a predetermined width and include an anchoring element disposed adjacent one edge of the screen so as to allow ease of installation of the original or replacement screen so formed.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a method of manufacturing a screen.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a cassette which may be side mounted into an opening of the framing section and closed by an exterior fascia element.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a closure assembly including a roll-up screen contained with one of its framing sections adjacent the closure member.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide improvements in mounting brackets, fascia elements, and screens.
It is a further object of this invention to develop a product that provides parallelism to opposing screen and handle edges which provides accurate paying out and accumulating on the roller so that the screen winds up precisely without twisting or binding.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a screen assembly having high strength and resistance to tearing which will not tear or peel from the corners and is easily able to accept dimensional variation in the window opening being covered.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a screen assembly which facilitates ease of manufacture, and replacement.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a screen cassette for a closure assembly which includes compatibly shaped pockets and brackets disposed with the closure frame and screen respectively to provide simple installation and maintenance.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide improvements to the aesthetics of a screen cassette for a the closure assembly.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide improvements to a screen cassette for any closure assembly regardless of the materials of manufacture used, for example wood, plastic, aluminum, and fiberglass or the like.
Further and other objects of this invention will become apparent to a man skilled in the art when considering the following summary of the invention and the more detailed description of the preferred embodiments illustrated herein.